Darwin Livelihoods & Conservation Workshop. Sustainable use: tangible community benefits via certification

Transcription

1 Darwin Livelihoods & Conservation Workshop Sustainable use: tangible community benefits via certification The Good Woods project, Mombasa, Kenya. 162/11/2004 Conserving Kenya s forests through certification of sustainably sourced woodcarvings David Hoyle, WWF-UK 3rd October 2007

2 A Market based conservation project - Presentation Summary Introduction History of the project What were the results? What did it cost? Key lessons Scaling-up Current situation

3 Overview

4 The conservation issue In Kenya, East Africa c hardwood trees/yr carved (e.g. ebony -Dalbergia melanoxylon) endangering plants and animal species endemic to Kenyan coastal forest fragments Sokoke Scops Owl degrading of globally important, biodiversity rich East African coastal forests (illegal cross border trade) Red-rumped elephant Shrew

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6 Biodiversity 6

7 Social, cultural, economic dimensions up to 60,000 carvers with 350,000 dependants; until mid- 90s generated c.20 m US$/yr livelihoods under threat due to dwindling hardwood resources

8 Why did the idea of certification emerge? Initial problem identification Stakeholder workshop results carvers still have insufficient incentive to switch: liked carving hardwood, illegally cut and as cheap as Good Woods, no curing of wood necessary; policy level - Kenya: no enforcement of environmental legislation (e.g. hardwood ban) buyers no clear ethical choice because no eco-label for Good Wood carvings Decided to go for FSC, which was aiming high! Assumption: strong market-led demand for good wood carvings can change carvers practices.

9 Key Objective FSC certification for environmentally & socially sustainable Kenyan woodcarvings

10 Key strategies Switch timber species (carving wood) Extend FSC to small producers Systems wood carving cooperatives, farmers associations & importer-exporter FSC certification of natural forest for the carving sector in Kenya not a possibility

11 History & Phases Research: ( ) - problem identification & situation analysis Campaigning: ( ) - switching to good woods Eco-labelling ( ) scoping eco-label options inc FSC & capacity building Certification ( ) certification a business tool, Oxfam, changing FSC Consolidation ( ) maintaining FSC; expanding to Malindi; disseminating lessons

12 Darwin Conserving Kenya s forest through certification of sustainably sourced good woods April 2002 March 2005 (Certification phase) Purpose: Conservation of critical forest habitats in Kenya by putting in place an incentive to enable carvers to shift from traditionally preferred forest hardwoods to farm-grown or plantation species, thereby providing for sustainable livelihoods for carvers and tree owners. Outputs: 1. Certification of sustainable source carvings from two woodcarving cooperatives 2. Increased general awareness about sustainable woodcarving and benefits of certification amongst carvers, tourists, exporters and importers. 172,600

13 Why it took so long? Problems identified subsequently General: lack of initiative, incentives & capacity for carving co-ops to embrace certification - cannot clearly see benefit despite awareness raising & training; for farmers: sale of 1-2 trees per year under certification insufficient incentive to comply to FSC rules and form into groups; No market readiness: quality, design & business skill improvements needed to capture new export markets Price premiums minimal: main benefit likely to be increased market share & access FSC related problems costs, criteria,

14 Neem certification system - complicated RESOURCE MANAGER STEERING COMMITTEE: CARVERS 3,000 trained carvers AKAMBA HANDICRAFT COOPERATIVE SOCIETY CHAIN OF CUSTODY CUTTERS CUTTER CUTTER CUTTER CHAIN OF CUSTODY FARM FORESTRY ASSOCIATION Opinion leader 1 Opinion leader 2 Opinion leader 3 FM - CERTIFICATE F F F F F F F F F 2,000 trained farmers

15 Results Shifting carvers behaviour (saving cu.m hardwood pa); woods & quality Shifting market behaviour - CIMA Global policy change - Changing FSC (SLIMF) First had experience helped WWF engage Kenya govt on policy issues Certification - Securing three FSC certificates Maintaining FSC certification to date Improved livelihoods of carvers Improved livelihood of farmers

16 FSC Solution Develop low input certification for low input forest management project lobbied hard & participated in the SLIMF (Small and Low Intensity Managed Forest) initiative of FCS tm; still questionable if changes made gone far enough to really benefit many small producers & remove entry-barriers

17 Successful certification March 2005 Farmers forest management certificate Carvers - chain of custody certificate Exporter company (CIMA) chain of custody certificate

18 Monetary Carvers: Minimal, select few. Secured sales Secured income Tangible community benefits Improved livelihoods Farmers: Tree sales: small total 500 p.a. (2005) By products: (tea, oil, seed ) 2500 (2004);

19 Testimonial

20 Tangible community benefits Improved livelihoods Non-Monetary Carvers Health and safety; training; Designs, quality, standards Security Savings bank Farmers Farmers association Development forum Legally registered Social structures

21 Lessons Learned Initial lack of understanding of complexity and marketrelated constraints Working in Partnership (Oxfam et al) Personalities, leadership & commitment Evolution adaptive management Donor support / donor driven Influencing national policy Overcoming barriers to certification Indirect benefits of certification Expectation of substantial premiums & monetary incentives has been naïve Very time consuming and costly. (Total WWF funding = 508, ,000 p.a.) Ref detailed lessons learned doc

22 Current situation 1. Scaling-up Malindi carvers Disseminating lessons learned in Kenya Promoting National Standards of certification Sharing lessons and ideas and different approaches regionally, eg FSC natural forest in Tanzania 2. True business viability?? Profitability Project support 2. Challenges working with cooperatives 3. Carvers have not totally switched (still c. 40% hardwoods)

23 Thank you